27-DCYF-EL-004 RFQQ.pdf

Competitive Solicitation RFQQ # 27-DCYF-EL-004 Page 1 of 30

COMPETITIVE SOLICITATION

REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS AND QUOTATIONS

RFQQ NO. 27-DCYF-EL-004

Project Title: Statewide Family Access Survey

Estimated Contract

Performance Period: March 2, 2026, through June 30, 2026. Amendments extending the period of performance, if any, shall be at the sole discretion of Department of Children, Youth &

Families (DCYF).

Response Due Date: All responses must be received in their entirety by Pacific

Time set forth in Section C.1 of this Solicitation Document unless an Amendment is issued modifying the Solicitation

Schedule.

Submit Response To: Responses must be submitted to:

Kristine Gorgas, Solicitation Coordinator

Email: dcyf.contracts@dcyf.wa.gov

Solicitation and Amendments

Will Be Posted on WEBS: WEBS Website: https://fortress.wa.gov/ga/webs/

Applicable WEBS

Commodity Codes: 961-60 Public Opinion Survey

Additional Resource: Washington APEX Accelerator (formerly Washington

PTAC) website: www.washingtonapex.org

* Contract start date is subject to change mailto:dcyf.contracts@dcyf.wa.gov https://fortress.wa.gov/ga/webs/ http://www.washingtonapex.org/

Competitive Solicitation RFQQ # 27-DCYF-EL-004 Page 2 of 30

TABLE OF CONTENTS

A. OVERVIEW, BIDDER QUALIFICATIONS, AND CONTRACT TERM

1. PURPOSE AND BACKGROUND

2. OBJECTIVE AND SCOPE

3. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

4. PERIOD OF CONTRACT PERFORMANCE

5. FUNDING

B. DEFINITIONS

C. EXPLANATION OF SOLICITATION PROCESS

1. SOLICITATION SCHEDULE

2. SOLICITATION COORDINATOR

3. POSTING OF SOLICITATION DOCUMENTS

4. AMENDMENT, CANCELLATION AND REISSUANCE OF SOLICITATION

5. QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

6. COMPLAINTS

7. SMALL AND DIVERSE BUSINESSES

8. PROCUREMENT PRIORITIES AND PREFERENCES

9. COST TO PREPARE RESPONSE

10. JOINT PROPOSALS

11. WITHDRAWAL OF RESPONSES

12. WAGE THEFT PREVENTION

13. WAGE VIOLATIONS

14. PAY EQUALITY

15. WORKER’S RIGHTS

16. NONDISCRIMINATION

17. MOST FAVORABLE TERMS

18. ANNOUNCEMENT OF SUCCESSFUL BIDDER(S)

19. ETHICS, POLICIES AND LAW

D. PROPOSAL CONTENT, FORMAT AND SUBMISSION

1. ATTACHMENT B - CERTIFICATIONS AND ASSURANCES (REQUIRED/PASS-FAIL)

2. ATTACHMENT C - BIDDER RESPONSE FORMS (REQUIRED/PORTIONS SCORED)

3. ATTACHMENT D - SMALL AND DIVERSE BUSINESS INCLUSION PLAN – SUBCONTRACTORS

4. KEY PERSONNEL

5. REFERENCES (REQUIRED)

6. PRE-BID CONFERENCE

7. PROPRIETARY INFORMATION/PUBLIC DISCLOSURE

8. SUBMISSION OF RESPONSES

9. ACCEPTABLE ELECTRONIC FORMATS FOR SUBMISSION OF RESPONSES

E. EVALUATION OF PROPOSALS

1. BID RESPONSIVENESS; ADMINISTRATIVE REVIEW

2. ERRORS IN BIDDER RESPONSE

3. EVALUATION CRITERIA AND SCORING OF RESPONSES

4. WRITTEN EVALUATION PROCEDURE

5. ORAL PRESENTATIONS MAY BE REQUIRED

6. SELECTION OF APPARENT SUCCESSFUL BIDDER

Competitive Solicitation RFQQ # 27-DCYF-EL-004 Page 3 of 30

F. DEBRIEFING AND PROTEST PROCEDURE

1. DEBRIEFING CONFERENCES

2. PROTEST PROCEDURE

G. CONTRACTING PROCEDURES

1. CONTRACT EXECUTION

2. BIDDER ISSUES, CONCERNS, EXCEPTIONS OR OBJECTIONS

3. INSURANCE

4. NON-ENDORSEMENT

5. ELECTRONIC PAYMENT

Competitive Solicitation RFQQ # 27-DCYF-EL-004 Page 4 of 30

A. OVERVIEW, BIDDER QUALIFICATIONS, AND CONTRACT TERM

1. Purpose and Background

This Competitive Solicitation is issued to assist the Washington State Department of

Children, Youth & Families (DCYF) in seeking qualified Contractor(s) to design and disseminate a survey and provide analysis of results.

DCYF, in accordance with Washington law, encourages small and diverse businesses to compete for and participate in DCYF procurements as contractors and as subcontractors to awarded Bidders. See, e.g., RCW 39.19 (OMWBE certified businesses); RCW

43.60A.200 (DVA certified veteran-owned businesses); and RCW 39.26.005

(Washington Small Businesses).

In support of the state’s economic goals and to support a diverse supplier pool, DCYF has established the following voluntary numerical goals for DCYF Competitive Solicitations:

▪ Ten percent (10%) Office of Minority and Woman-Owned Businesses;

▪ One percent (1%) Veteran-Owned Businesses; and

▪ Twenty percent (20%) Washington Small Businesses.

Achievement of these goals is encouraged whether directly or through subcontractors.

2. Objective and Scope

The purpose of this contract supports the design and implementation of a statewide

Family Access Survey to deepen understanding of how families experience and navigate

Early Childhood Education (ECE) systems in Washington. This will need to be made available in English and Spanish. If possible, the ability to disseminate and analyze in

Russian, Arabic, Vietnamese and Simplified Chinese would be helpful.

3. Minimum Qualifications

All Bidders must meet the following minimum qualifications:

Bidders submitting a proposal must complete and submit Bidder Response forms C.1 and C.2 for evaluation purposes. Bidder must respond to each requirement as noted in the instructions below.

• Mandatory Pass/Fail (M): Minimum requirement; Bidder that does not meet this requirement will not be considered any further.

• Mandatory Scored (MS): Critical requirement; Bidders will score based on the degree to which Bidder's response meets the requirements.

• Desirable Scored (DS): Desirable requirement; evaluators will score based on the degree to which Bidder's response meets the requirement.

https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=39.19 https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=43.60A.200 https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=43.60A.200 https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=39.26.005

Competitive Solicitation RFQQ # 27-DCYF-EL-004 Page 5 of 30

a. Mandatory Pass/Fail (M):

(1) Must be licensed to do business in the State of Washington or provide a commitment that it will become licenses in Washington within thirty (30) days of being selected as the Apparent Successful Bidder (ASB).

(2) Must have a Unique Entity (UEI) number or provide a commitment that it will acquire a UEI number within thirty (30) days of being selected as the Apparent

Successful Bidder (ASB).

• Information on how to obtain a UEI number can be found at the following location: https://sam.gov/content/entity-registration

(3) Bidder must certify that they have not been debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible, or voluntarily excluded from participation in transactions by any federal department or agency. Bidders failing to demonstrate in their Bids that they meet these minimum qualifications will be considered non-responsive and will therefore be disqualified from further consideration.

b. Mandatory Scored (MS):

(1) Must have experience with and existing access to survey dissemination software.

(2) Must have an understanding of sampling strategy and statistical power in answering key research questions. This includes ensuring oversampling of key sub-populations, who are often difficult to reach. Must have experience with and existing access to survey software.

(3) Must have professional experience designing and implementing a survey to more than five hundred participants in English and Spanish.

(4) Must have professional experience analyzing and presenting survey results.

c. Desirable Scored (DS):

(1) Desired professional experience in contacting parents of young children

(2) Desired professional experience disseminating surveys to rural areas of

Washington State

(3) Desired professional experience in designing and implementing a survey to more than one thousand participants in languages other than English and Spanish

Bidders failing to demonstrate in their Bids that they meet these minimum qualifications will be considered non-responsive and will therefore be disqualified from further consideration.

https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsam.gov%2Fcontent%2Fentity-registration&data=05%7C02%7Ckarena.mcgovern%40dcyf.wa.gov%7Cc4c0394e851040ffec1708dc00156ba3%7C11d0e217264e400a8ba057dcc127d72d%7C0%7C0%7C638385339536404371%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=ppRN%2BtIJTsscXG2aIXX5vfE9ua8UM3nSdTymsNFJmkY%3D&reserved=0

Competitive Solicitation RFQQ # 27-DCYF-EL-004 Page 6 of 30

4. Period of Contract Performance

a. DCYF intends to award up to one Contract to provide the services described in this

RFQQ.

b. The initial term of the Contract will start March 2, 2026, or execution date and will end June 30, 2026. The term of the Contract may be extended up to 3 months by amendment and will not exceed the date of September 30, 2026.

c. Additional services that are appropriate to the scope of this RFQQ, as determined by

DCYF, may be added to the resulting Contract(s) by a written Amendment mutually agreed to and executed by both parties.

5. Funding

a. DCYF initial total amount for the Contract(s) shall not exceed $216,000. Bids more than $216,000 will be rejected as non-responsive and will not be evaluated. In the event additional funding becomes available, Contract awarded may be renegotiated to provide for additional related services.

b. Any Contract(s) awarded because of this Solicitation is contingent upon the availability of funding.

c. In the contract proposed because of this RFQQ, it is DCYF’S intent to use the following funding sources:

100% of the total costs of the program will be financed with federal money, or not more than $216,000.

6. Auxiliary Aids and Services for American with Disabilities Act (ADA)

DCYF will provide access to this Solicitation Document to individuals with disabilities.

Please contact the Solicitation Coordinator to request auxiliary aids and services.

If an individual believes that the Department has discriminated based on a disability, please contact the DCYF Solicitation Coordinator.

Competitive Solicitation RFQQ # 27-DCYF-EL-004 Page 7 of 30

B. DEFINITIONS

Additional definitions for Contract-specific terms are found in the Sample Contract set forth as Attachment A to this Solicitation and shall apply to those terms as they are used in this

Solicitation. The following terms have the meanings set forth below:

1. DCYF – The Washington State Department of Children, Youth & Families.

2. Amendment – A unilateral change to the Solicitation that is issued by DCYF at its sole discretion and posted on WEBS.

3. Apparent Successful Bidder or ASB – The Bidder selected as the entity to perform the anticipated services, subject to completion of Contract negotiations and execution of a written Contract.

4. Authorized Representative – An individual designated by the Bidder to act on its behalf who has the authority to legally bind the Bidder concerning the terms and conditions set forth in this Solicitation and related documents.

5. Bid - An offer, proposal or quote for goods or services and all related materials prepared and submitted by a Bidder in response to this Solicitation. The terms Bid, quotation, response, and proposal are all intended to mean the same thing.

6. Bidder– An individual or entity who submits a Bid, quotation, or proposal in response to a Solicitation issued for such goods or services by DCYF per RCW 39.26.010(3).

7. Complaint – Is a process that may be followed by a Bidder prior to the deadline for Bid submission to alert DCYF of certain types of asserted deficiencies in the Solicitation per

RCW 39.26.170.

8. Complex Contract - Written agreements between two or more parties that are legally binding with the added complexity of competing priorities such as financial targets, support capabilities, and delivery schedules.

9. Contract – A written agreement entered between an Apparent Successful Bidder and

DCYF as a result of this Solicitation.

10. Contractor – An individual or entity whose Bid has been accepted by the DCYF and is awarded a fully executed, written Contract.

11. Coordinator or Solicitation Coordinator – An individual or designee who is employed by DCYF within the DCYF Contracts Unit Office and who is responsible for conducting this Solicitation.

12. Debriefing – a short meeting an Unsuccessful Bidder may request with the Solicitation

Coordinator following the announcement of the ASB for the purpose of receiving information regarding the review and evaluation of that Bidder’s Response.

Competitive Solicitation RFQQ # 27-DCYF-EL-004 Page 8 of 30

13. Evaluator – Is a person designated by DCYF to evaluate proposals received in response to a Competitive Solicitation Document.

14. Non-Responsive Bidder - A Bidder who has submitted a bid, which does not conform to all requirements of the solicitation documents.

15. Office of Minority and Women’s Business Enterprises (OMWBE) Certified

Business – Means business or the status of a business that has been examined by the

Washington State Office of Minority and Women’s Business Enterprises (OMWBE) and deemed to be a Minority Business Enterprise (MBE), a Women’s Business Enterprise

(WBE), a Minority Women’s Business Enterprise (MWBE), a Combination Business

Enterprise (CBE), or a Socially and Economically Disadvantage Business Enterprise

(SEDBE) per chapter 39.19 RCW.

OMWBE Certification. The Bidder must have provided certification documentation to the

OMWBE and be certified by OMWBE and listed as such on OMWBE’s website

(OMWBE’s Directory of Certified Businesses).

16. Protest – A process that may be followed by a Bidder after the announcement of the

ASB to alert DCYF to certain types of alleged errors in the evaluation of the Solicitation.

17. RCW – The Revised Code of Washington. All references to RCW chapters or sections shall include any successor, amended, or replacement statute.

18. RFQQ – The Request for Qualification and Quotations set forth in this Solicitation document.

19. Services – Are labor, work, analysis, or similar activities provided by a Contractor to accomplish a specific Statement of Work per RCW 39.26.010 (21).

20. Solicitation or Competitive Solicitation – A formal process providing and equal and open opportunity for Bidders culminating in a selection based upon predetermined criteria. A Competitive Solicitation requests the submission of Bids, quotations, or proposals for the consideration of DCYF in contracting to meet its needs. This RFQQ is a Solicitation.

21. Solicitation Document – Is a document that outlines the requirements and process for submitting a proposal or bid to acquire services or goods that DCYF desires, and is released to prospective Bidders or other interested persons. Competitive Solicitation documents include Request for Proposal (RFP’s), Request for Qualifications and

Quotation (RFQQs), Request for Qualifications (RFQs), Request of Quotation(s) (RFQs), and Request for Applications (RFAs).

22. Statement of Work – The detailed description services to be performed by the

Contractor and set forth in the Contract.

23. Subcontractor – An individual or other entity contracted by Bidder to perform part of the services or to provide goods under the Contract resulting from this Solicitation.

Subcontractors, if allowed, are subject to the advance approval of DCYF.

https://omwbe.wa.gov/directory-certified-businesses

Competitive Solicitation RFQQ # 27-DCYF-EL-004 Page 9 of 30

24. Unsuccessful Bidder (USB) - A supplier of goods or services that submits a quotation or request for proposal but is not selected once the evaluation decision has been made.

25. Veteran-Owned Business – means businesses certified by the Department of Veterans

Affairs (DVA) as a Certified Veteran-Owned Business. See RCW 43.60A.010(7) & RCW

43.60A.190. Such firms must meet three requirements:

a. 51% Ownership. The firm must be at least fifty-one percent (51%) owned and controlled by:

(1) A veteran as defined as every person who at the time he or she seeks certification has received a discharge with an honorable characterization or received a discharge for medical reasons with an honorable record, where applicable, and who has served in at least one of the capacities listed in RCW

41.04.007;

(2) A person who is in receipt of disability compensation or pension from the department of veterans’ affairs; or

(3) An active or reserve member in any branch of the armed forces of the United

States, including the national guard, coast guard, and armed forces reserves.

b. Washington Incorporation/Location. The firm must be either an entity that is incorporated in the State of Washington as a Washington domestic corporation or, if not incorporated, an entity whose principal place of business is located within the

State of Washington.

DVA Certification. The firm must have provided certification documentation to the DVA and be certified by DVA and listed as such on DVA’s website (WDVA – Veteran-Owned

Businesses).

26. Washington APEX Accelerator - formerly Washington Procurement Technical

Assistance Center (PTAC) – Works to give businesses the opportunity to thrive in the government-contracting marketplace. Their website can be found at www.washingtonapex.org

27. Washington Electronic Business Solution or WEBS – Washington’s Electronic

Business Solution, the Bidder notification system found at https://fortress.wa.gov/ga/webs/ and maintained by the Washington State Department of

Enterprise Services.

28. Washington Small Business - An in-state business, including a sole proprietorship, corporation, partnership, or other legal entity, that: (a) certifies, under penalty of perjury, that it is owned and operated independently from all other businesses and has either: (i) fifty (50) or fewer employees; or (ii) a gross revenue of less than seven (7) million dollars annually as reported on its federal income tax return or its return filed with the

Department of Revenue over the previous three (3) consecutive years.

http://www.washingtonapex.org/

Competitive Solicitation RFQQ # 27-DCYF-EL-004 Page 10 of 30

Small Business Self-Certification. The Bidder must provide a signed Attachment B.1

Small Business Self-Certification as part of their proposal.

Competitive Solicitation RFQQ # 27-DCYF-EL-004 Page 11 of 30

C. EXPLANATION OF SOLICITATION PROCESS

1. Solicitation Schedule

The Solicitation Schedule set forth below outlines the tentative schedule for important events relating to this Solicitation. Except as modified in an Amendment issued by the

Solicitation Coordinator, the dates and times listed through the date of response submission are mandatory deadlines. The remaining dates are estimates and may change without the posting of an Amendment. It is the Bidder’s sole responsibility to periodically check WEBS at https://fortress.wa.gov/ga/webs/ for RFQQ amendments.

Failure to meet the response deadline will result in Bidder disqualification.

Action Date

Posts Competitive Solicitation January 7, 2026

Pre-Bid Conference 1:00-2:00 p.m. January 12, 2026

Bidder may submit written questions until 5:00 p.m.

Pacific Time.

January 30, 2026

DCYF will post responses to written questions as an Amendment.

February 2, 2026

Bidders may submit written Complaints by 5:00 p.m.

Pacific Time

January 29, 2026

Issue any additional Amendment(s) to RFQQ (if applicable)

February 4, 2026

Bidder must submit Response by 4:00 p.m.

Pacific Time

February 5, 2026

Evaluation of written Responses February 6-9, 2026

Announce ASB(s) and notify unsuccessful Bidders February 10, 2026

Unsuccessful Bidders may request a Debriefing conference

February 13, 2026

Holds Debriefing conferences, if requested February 18, 2026

Bidder Protests February 23, 2026

Negotiate Contract

February 10-23, 2026

Estimated Contract start date (DCYF will postpone signing a Contract with the ASB until all Protests have been resolved.)

March 2, 2026

2. Solicitation Coordinator

a. The Solicitation Coordinator is the sole point of contact for DCYF for this Solicitation.

All communication concerning this Solicitation must be directed to the Solicitation

Coordinator listed on the cover page and below of this subsection of this Solicitation

Document.

Kristine Gorgas, Solicitation Coordinator

Competitive Solicitation RFQQ # 27-DCYF-EL-004 Page 12 of 30

Email: dcyf.contracts@dcyf.wa.gov

b. DCYF considers all oral communications unofficial and non-binding. Bidders are to rely only on written statements issued by the Solicitation Coordinator.

c. Any communications directed to parties other than the Solicitation Coordinator may result in disqualification of the Bidder.

3. Posting of Solicitation Documents

a. DCYF shall post this Solicitation, and all Amendments and announcements relating to this Solicitation, on WEBS. WEBS can be accessed at https://fortress.wa.gov/ga/webs/.

b. All Bidders must register as a vendor on WEBS, using an appropriate commodities code listed on the front page of this Solicitation, and must download this Solicitation from WEBS. This should be done as soon as possible for the Bidder to receive notifications automatically generated on WEBS, but no later than the date set forth on Section C.1., Solicitation Schedule for Announcement of the Apparent Successful

Bidder(s).

4. Amendment, Cancellation and Reissuance of Solicitation

a. DCYF may amend or cancel or reissue this Solicitation at any time, in whole or in part, prior to execution of a Contract.

b. DCYF may reject all Bids and cancel or rebid this Solicitation. In the event it becomes necessary to revise any part of this Solicitation, Amendment(s) shall be posted on WEBS.

c. In the event of a conflict between Amendments or between an Amendment and this

Solicitation Document, the document issued latest shall control.

d. For this purpose, the published questions and answers from the pre-bid conference and any other pertinent information shall be provided as an Amendment to the

RFQQ.

5. Questions and Answers

a. Bidders may send written questions concerning this Solicitation to the Solicitation

Coordinator by the date and time set forth on the Solicitation Schedule in Section

C.1. for submission of Questions. Questions should be sent via email and should include the number and title of this Solicitation in the subject line.

b. DCYF will document all questions received in writing by posting an Amendment to the Solicitation on WEBS. Only Bidders who have properly registered and downloaded the original Solicitation directly via the WEBS system at mailto:kristine.gorgas@dcyf.wa.gov

Competitive Solicitation RFQQ # 27-DCYF-EL-004 Page 13 of 30 https://fortress.wa.gov/ga/webs/ will receive notification of Amendments and other correspondence pertaining to this Solicitation.

6. Complaints

a. DCYF provides prospective Bidders a period of time to voice Complaints about this

Solicitation in order to promote a transparent, fair, and competitive process.

Prospective Bidder must provide the Solicitation Coordinator the Complaint in written form no later than five (5) business days prior to when the Bids are due. The

Complaint must clearly articulate the basis for the Complaint and should include a proposed remedy. Complaint topics are inclusive of:

(1) Unnecessary restricts competition;

(2) Contains an unfair or flawed evaluation/scoring process; or

(3) Inadequate or insufficient requirements so a response is difficult to prepare.

b. Complaint raised in communication with the Solicitation Coordinator will be documented and responded to in written form. A copy of the Complaint and response will be posted on WEBS. The DCYF decision regarding a Complaint is final and no further administrative appeal is available. The Complaint may not be raised again during the Protest period.

7. Small and Diverse Businesses

DCYF in accordance with Washington law, encourages small and diverse businesses to compete for and participate in state procurements as contractors and as subcontractors to awarded bidders. See, e.g., RCW 39.19 (OMWBE certified businesses); RCW

43.60A.200 (WDVA certified veteran-owned businesses); and RCW 39.26.005

(Washington small businesses). In support of the state’s economic goals and to support a diverse supplier pool.

a. Office of Minority and Women’s Business Enterprises (OMWBE) Participation

Bidders may contact the Office of Minority and Women’s Business Enterprises

(OMWBE) at http://omwbe.wa.gov/ to obtain information on certified firms for potential subcontracting arrangements or for information on how to become certified.

Nothing in this section is intended to prevent or discourage participation from non-

MWBE businesses.

b. Washington State Small Business Participation

In accordance with the legislative findings and policies set forth in Chapter 39.26

RCW, the State of Washington encourages participation in all of its Contracts by

Bidders defined as a Small Business. Participation may be either on a direct basis in response to this Solicitation or on a Subcontractor basis.

http://omwbe.wa.gov/

Competitive Solicitation RFQQ # 27-DCYF-EL-004 Page 14 of 30

Bidder is a Washington Small Business as defined in RCW 39.26.010. To qualify as a Washington Small Business, Bidder must meet both of the following requirements:

Location. Bidder’s principal office/place of business must be located in and identified as being in the State of Washington. A principal office or principal place of business is a firm’s headquarters where business decisions are made and the location for the firm’s books and records as well as the firm’s senior management personnel.

Size. Bidder must be owned and operated independently from all other businesses and have either: (a) fifty (50) or fewer employees; or (b) gross revenue of less than seven million dollars ($7,000,000) annually as reported on Bidder’s federal income tax return or its return filed with the Washington State Department of Revenue over the previous three consecutive years.

c. Certified Veteran-Owned Business Participation

In accordance with the legislative findings and policies set forth in Chapter

43.60A.200 RCW, the State of Washington encourages participation in all of its

Contracts by firms certified by the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA).

Bidder is a Certified Veteran-Owned Business under RCW 43.60A.190. To qualify as a Certified Veteran-Owned Business, Bidder must meet four (4) requirements:

51% Ownership. Bidder must be at least fifty-one percent (51%) owned and controlled by:

A veteran as defined as every person who at the time he or she seeks certification has received a discharge with an honorable characterization or received a discharge for medical reasons with an honorable record, where applicable, and who has served in at least one of the capacities listed in RCW

41.04.007;

A person who is in receipt of disability compensation or pension from the

Department of Veterans Affairs; or

An active or reserve member in any branch of the armed forces of the United

States, including the national guard, coast guard, and armed forces reserves.

Bidder must have provided certification documentation to the Washington

Department of Veterans Affairs (WDVA) and be certified by WDVA and listed as such on WDVA’s website (WDVA – Veteran-Owned Businesses).

8. Procurement Priorities and Preferences.

DCYF will apply the following Priorities and Preferences, as set forth in this RFQQ.

Competitive Solicitation RFQQ # 27-DCYF-EL-004 Page 15 of 30

a. Evaluation for Executive Order 18-03 (Contractors without Mandatory

Individual Arbitration for Employees)

Pursuant to RCW 39.26.160(3) (best value criteria) and consistent with Executive

Order 18-03 – Supporting Workers’ Rights to Effectively Address Workplace

Violations (dated June 12, 2018), DCYF will evaluate bids for best value and provide a bid preference in the amount of Five percent (5%) to any bidder who certifies, pursuant to the certification attached as Attachment B – Bidder Certification and

Assurances, that their firm does NOT require its employees, as a condition of employment, to sign or agree to mandatory individual arbitration clauses or class or collective action waiver.

b. Washington Small Business

DCYF will evaluate bids for best value and will provide a bid preference in the amount of ten percent (10%) to any Bidder who certifies, pursuant to Attachment C.1 and Attachment B.1 – Bidder’s Washington Small Business Certification, that Bidder qualifies as a ‘Washington Small Business’ as set forth in Section C.7.c.

c. Certified Veteran-Owned Business

DCYF will evaluate bids for best value and will provide a bid preference in the amount of ten percent (10%) to any Bidder who certifies, pursuant to Attachment C.1

– Bidder’s Response, that Bidder qualifies as a ‘Veteran-Owned Business as set forth in Section C.7.c. Bidder must provide certification documentation to the

Washington Department of Veterans Affairs (WDVA) and be certified by DVA and listed as such on DVA’s website (WDVA – Veteran-Owned Businesses).

9. Cost to Prepare Response

DCYF will not be liable for any costs incurred by the Bidder in preparing of a Bid submitted in response to this Solicitation, conducting a site assessment and/or presentation, any other activities related to responding to this Solicitation, and/or submitting a response to this Solicitation.

10. Joint Proposals

If Bidders submit a joint response with one or more other persons or entities, these persons or entities must designate a prime Bidder. The prime Bidder will be DCYF sole point of contact through the Solicitation process. If selected as the ASB, the prime

Bidder shall sign the Contract and any Amendments and will be liable and responsible to

DCYF for all performance under the Contract.

11. Withdrawal of Responses

After a response has been submitted, Bidders may withdraw their response at any time up to the response due date and time as specified in Section C.1, Solicitation Schedule.

A written request to withdraw the response, signed by an Authorized Representative of

Competitive Solicitation RFQQ # 27-DCYF-EL-004 Page 16 of 30 the Bidder, must be submitted to the Solicitation Coordinator. After withdrawing a response, the Bidder may submit another response at any time up to the response submission date and time.

12. Wage Theft Prevention

Bidder certifies that Bidder has not, within the three (3) year period immediately preceding the date of release of this Competitive Solicitation, been determined by a final and binding citation and notice of assessment issued by the State of Washington

Department of Labor and Industries or through a civil judgment to have willfully violated state minimum wage laws (RCW 49.38.082; Chapters 49.46 RCW, 49.48 RCW, or 49.52

RCW). Bidder attests under penalty of perjury that the foregoing statement is true and correct. Bidder must submit Attachment B, attached hereto and incorporated herein as though set forth in full.

13. Wage Violations

Contractor represents and warrants that, during the term of this Contract and the three

(3) year period immediately preceding the effective date of this Contract, it is not determined, by a final and binding citation and notice of assessment issued by the

Washington Department of Labor and Industries or through a civil judgment entered by a court of limited or general jurisdiction, to be in willful violation of any provision of

Washington State wage laws set forth in RCW Chapters 49.46, 49.48, or 49.52. For purposes of this Section 13 and pursuant to RCW 49.48.082 as now or hereafter amended, “willful” shall mean a knowing and intentional action that is neither accidental nor the result of a bona fide dispute, as evaluated under the standards applicable to wage payment violations under RCW 49.52.050(2).

14. Pay Equality

Contractor represents and warrants that, as required by Washington State law (Laws of

2019,Chap. 415, §225(4)(f)), during the term of this Contract the Contractor agrees to equality among its workers by ensuring similarly employed individuals are compensated as equals.

a. For purposes of this Section 14, employees are similarly employed if the individuals work for the same employer, the performance of the job requires comparable skill, effort, and responsibility, and the jobs are performed under similar working conditions. Job titles alone are not determinative of whether employees are similarly employed.

b. For purposes of this Section 14, the Contractor may allow differentials in compensation for its workers based in good faith on any of the following: a seniority system; a merit system; a system that measures earnings by quantity or quality of production; a bona fide job-related factor or factors; or a bona fide regional difference in compensation levels.

Competitive Solicitation RFQQ # 27-DCYF-EL-004 Page 17 of 30

(1) A bona fide job-related factor or factors may include, but not be limited to, education, training, or experience, that is: consistent with business necessity; not based on or derived from a gender-based differential; and accounts for the entire differential.

(2) A bona fide regional difference in compensation level must be consistent with business necessity; not based on or derived from a gender-based differential;

and account for the entire differential.

15. Worker’s Rights

Pursuant to the Washington State Governor’s Executive Order 18-03 (dated June 12, 2018), DCYF is seeking to contract with qualified entities and business owners who certify that their employees are not, as a condition of employment, subject to mandatory individual arbitration clauses and class or collective action waivers.

16. Nondiscrimination

a. Nondiscrimination Requirement. During the term of this Contract, Contractor, including any subcontractor, shall not discriminate on the bases enumerated at RCW 49.60.530(3). In addition, Contractor, including any subcontractor, shall give written notice of this nondiscrimination requirement to any labor organizations with which Contractor, or subcontractor, has a collective bargaining or other agreement.

b. Obligation to Cooperate. Contractor, including any subcontractor, shall cooperate and comply with any Washington State agency investigation regarding any allegation that Contractor, including any subcontractor, has engaged in discrimination prohibited by this Contract pursuant to RCW 49.60.530(3).

c. Default. Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary, DCYF may suspend Contractor, including any subcontractor, upon notice of a failure to participate and cooperate with any state agency investigation into alleged discrimination prohibited by this Contract, pursuant to RCW 49.60.530(3). Any such suspension will remain in place until DCYF receives notification that Contractor, including any subcontractor, is cooperating with the investigating state agency. In the event Contractor, or subcontractor, is determined to have engaged in discrimination identified at RCW 49.60.530(3), DCYF may terminate this Contract in whole or in part, and Contractor, subcontractor, or both, may be referred for debarment as provided in RCW 39.26.200. Contractor or subcontractor may be given a reasonable time in which to cure this noncompliance, including implementing conditions consistent with any court-ordered injunctive relief or settlement agreement.

d. Remedies for Breach. Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary, in the event of Contract termination or suspension for engaging in discrimination, Contractor, subcontractor, or both, shall be liable for contract damages as authorized by law including, but not limited to, any cost difference between the original contract and the replacement or cover contract and all administrative costs directly related to the replacement contract, which damages are distinct from any penalties imposed under Chapter 49.60, RCW. DCYF shall have the right to deduct from any monies due to Contractor or subcontractor, or that thereafter become due, an amount for damages Contractor or subcontractor will owe DCYF for default under this provision.

Competitive Solicitation RFQQ # 27-DCYF-EL-004 Page 18 of 30

17. Most Favorable Terms

DCYF reserves the right to make an award without further discussion of the Bid submitted. Therefore, the Bid should be submitted initially on the most favorable terms which the Bidder can propose. DCYF does reserve the right to contact a Bidder for clarification of its Bid.

The Bidder should be prepared to accept this RFQQ for incorporation into a Contract resulting from this RFQQ. Contract negotiations may incorporate some or all of the

Bidder’s Bid. It is understood that the Bid will become a part of the official Solicitation file on this matter without obligation to DCYF.

18. Announcement of Successful Bidder(s)

DCYF shall announce the ASB(s) via WEBS on the date indicated in Section C.1., Solicitation Schedule. All announcements of ASB(s) are subject to the negotiation of a

Contract satisfactory to DCYF.

19. Ethics, Policies and Law

This Solicitation, the evaluation of responses, and any resulting Contract will be made in conformance with applicable Washington State laws and policies.

Specific restrictions apply to contracting with current or former state employees pursuant to RCW 42.52. Bidders should familiarize themselves with the requirements prior to submitting a Response. Bidders must include information regarding any current or former state employees who are employed by, or subcontracted with Bidder in

Attachment C-1, Administrative Requirements Response.

Competitive Solicitation RFQQ # 27-DCYF-EL-004 Page 19 of 30

D. PROPOSAL CONTENT, FORMAT AND SUBMISSION

Bidders shall submit their responses utilizing the forms set forth on Attachments B, B-1, C-1, C-2, C-3 and D to this Competitive Solicitation. Each attachment represents a separate section of the response. Failure to complete and submit all Required attachments, and to sign them, if applicable, may result in Bidder disqualification.

Responses should be neatly typed in 12-point font, using proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation, and should be submitted in the following order with each section of the response clearly labeled.

1. Attachment B - Certifications and Assurances (Required/Pass-Fail)

All Bidders must submit a completed Certifications and Assurances in the form and with the minimum contents set forth on Attachment B, which must include all the required acknowledgments and information. The Certifications and Assurances must be signed by an individual authorized to bind the Bidder contractually.

Attachment B-1 Bidder Small Business Self Certification (Required to Receive

Preference Points as a Small Business)

2. Attachment C - Bidder Response Forms (Required/Portions Scored)

Using Attachment C-1, C-2, and C-3, Bidders must provide answers to the questions set forth on the Bidder Response Forms to demonstrate satisfaction of administrative requirements and, as applicable to this Solicitation, their qualifications, approach, and proposed pricing to provide the services as outlined in this Solicitation, including the sample Contract set forth on Attachment A.

Attachment C-1, Administrative Requirements Response (Required/Pass-Fail)

Attachment C-2 Bidder Response Form (Required/Scored)

The Bidder Response Form is posted separately from this Solicitation Document in

Microsoft Word format. Except for limits that are noted on the Bidder Response Form, Bidders may utilize as much space as is reasonably required to respond to each question, provided all questions are repeated and remain numbered and ordered as set forth in Attachment C-2. Bidders should not submit product brochures, white papers, and customer testimonials, cut sheets, or other pre-prepared materials in response to any of the questions.

Use of Attachment C-2 assures that Bidders respond to specific questions in space immediately below those questions and helps to avoid confusion among Evaluators about the question that is being responded to. Failure to use the form set forth on

Attachment C-2, and failure to respond to all questions and/or failure to submit any documents requested in the Bidder Response Forms may result in Bidder’s disqualification.

Competitive Solicitation RFQQ # 27-DCYF-EL-004 Page 20 of 30

Bidders must submit complete, well-organized explanatory answers that address all of the specific questions asked in the Bidder Response Form. Bidders should not assume that Evaluators will be familiar with their businesses before conducting the evaluation.

If Bidder is awarded a Contract, DCYF may require the Bidder Response Form C-2 to be incorporated, in whole, into the Contract by reference.

Attachment C-3 Cost proposal (Excel Budget) (Required/Scored)

3. Attachment D - Small and Diverse Business Inclusion Plan – Subcontractors

a. Bidders who, if awarded a Contract, intend to use subcontractors, must complete

Bidder Response Attachment D – Small and Diverse Business Inclusion Plan –

Subcontractors in the form set forth herein. Awarded bidders who do not submit a

Diverse Business Inclusion Plan will be precluded from utilizing subcontractors to perform the Contract.

b. As part of the Diverse Business Inclusion Plan – Subcontractors, Bidder is encouraged to include an anticipated list of small/diverse subcontractors who may assist Bidder in fulfilling Bidder’s contractual obligations, if bidder is awarded a

Contract pursuant to this Competitive Solicitation. This list should identify any subcontractors who are small/diverse businesses as defined above.

c. If awarded, the Bidder’s Diverse Business Inclusion Plan – Subcontractor will be incorporated into the terms and conditions of the resulting Contract and bidder will report performance and progress to DCYF as set forth in the Contract.

d. Bidders must describe their efforts in engaging and reducing any barriers to participation by small/diverse businesses, including outreach, education/mentorship, and process changes designed to increase small/diverse business participation.

e. The small/diverse business goals set forth herein are voluntary. Bidders will not be considered non-responsive if the Diverse Business Inclusion Plan – Subcontractors has a zero small/diverse business participation amount. DCYF, however, encourages bidders to be proactive in engaging small/diverse business participation.

No preference will be included in the evaluation of bids based on the Diverse

Business Inclusion Plan – Subcontractors. No minimum level of small/diverse business participation is required as a condition for receiving a Contract award.

4. Key Personnel

Bidder shall identify the key personnel it shall utilize in performing this Contract, and their experience and qualifications, as part of its proposal. If awarded a Contract, Bidder shall not make changes to such key personnel during the term of the Contract except as requested or approved by DCYF.

Competitive Solicitation RFQQ # 27-DCYF-EL-004 Page 21 of 30

5. References (Required)

List names, addresses, telephone numbers and e-mail addresses of three (3) business references for whom work has been accomplished and briefly describe the type of service provided for them. The Bidder must grant permission to DCYF to contact the references and others who may have pertinent information. Do not include current

DCYF staff as references. The DCYF may evaluate references at the DCYF’s discretion.

6. Pre-bid Conference

A Zoom pre-bid conference is scheduled to be held on January 12, 2026, at 1:00 p.m., Pacific Daylight Time, Washington. Bidder should participate; however, participation is not mandatory.

Zoom link: Join the meeting now

Meeting ID: 269 765 703 901 06

Passcode: W8Zj6sk3

DCYF will be bound only to DCYF’S written answers to questions. Questions arising at the pre-bid conference or in subsequent communication with the Solicitation Coordinator will be documented and answered in written form. A copy of the questions and answers will be posted in WEBS.

7. Proprietary Information/Public Disclosure

Materials submitted in response to this Solicitation shall be deemed public records as defined by RCW 42.56. All responses and accompanying documentation shall become the property of DCYF upon receipt and will not be returned.

The Bidder’s response must include, on Attachment C, a statement identifying the pages of its response, if any, which contain information the Bidder considers proprietary. Each page claimed to be proprietary must be clearly marked by stating the word

“Proprietary” printed on the lower right-hand corner of the page. Bidders must be reasonable in designating information as proprietary or confidential. Bidders may not mark their entire Response proprietary. Doing so will not be honored and will disqualify your Response from further consideration.

If DCYF receives a request to view or copy a Bidder’s response, DCYF will respond according to applicable law and DCYF’s policy governing public disclosure. DCYF will not disclose any information marked “Proprietary” in a response without giving the

Bidder ten (10) calendar days’ notice to seek relief in superior court per RCW 42.56.540.

Bid submissions and Bid evaluations are exempt from disclosure until DCYF announces the ASB.

https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_ZWUxNjczMGYtMmMxZi00NDFiLWI2YmYtOTQzYTIxOTk0MWZl%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%2211d0e217-264e-400a-8ba0-57dcc127d72d%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%22168edd88-cc77-42a2-b2f5-faf3e9224713%22%7d

Competitive Solicitation RFQQ # 27-DCYF-EL-004 Page 22 of 30

a. DCYF will consider a Bidder’s request for exemption from disclosure; however, DCYF will decide predicated upon Chapter 42.17 RCW and Chapter 136-06 of the

Washington Administrative Code. Marking the entire Bid exempt from disclosure will not be honored. The Bidder must be reasonable in designating information as confidential. If any information is marked as proprietary in the Bid, such information will not be made available until the affected proposer has been given an opportunity to seek a court injunction against the requested disclosure.

b. Bidders may not include any DCYF client information in their responses. Doing so will result in disqualification of the Response from further consideration. If you wish to include examples of any forms or processes, use a blank form or ensure that all client information is completely redacted.

c. A charge may be made for copying and shipping, as outlined in RCW 42.17.300. No fee shall be charged for inspection of Contract files, but twenty-four (24) hours’ notice to the Solicitation Coordinator is required. All requests for information should be directed to the DCYF Public Records Office at https://www.dcyf.wa.gov/public-records.

8. Submission of Responses

Bid responses must be stored in an acceptable electronic format as set forth in Section

10, below. Bid responses must be emailed directly to the Solicitation Coordinator at the email address provided on the cover sheet of this Solicitation. Bid responses must be received by the Solicitation Coordinator in their entirety on or before the due date and time set forth in Section C.1., Solicitation Schedule, unless a posted Amendment to this

Competitive Solicitation changes this due date and time. Bidder’s completed version of each of the Attachments B and C to this Solicitation shall be included as a separate attachment to the Bidder’s email(s).

Bidders assume all risks for the timely submission of the response. Bidders are responsible for allowing sufficient time to ensure timely electronic receipt of their response by DCYF. DCYF does not assume responsibility for problems with the

Bidder’s email or network. However, if DCYF email is not working properly, appropriate allowances will be made.

DCYF will not accept late responses. Late responses will be automatically disqualified from further consideration, unless the DCYF’S e-mail is found to be at fault. DCYF will disqualify any response and withdraw it from consideration if it is received after the response submission due date and time. All Bids and any accompanying documentation become the property of the DCYF and will not be returned.

9. Acceptable Electronic Formats for Submission of Responses

Attachment C-1, C-2 and D, Bidder response Form, should be submitted in Microsoft

Word or a Portable Document Format (Adobe Acrobat PDF). Attachment C-3, and other spreadsheet documents must be submitted in Microsoft Excel and in a live, unprotected https://www.dcyf.wa.gov/public-records https://www.dcyf.wa.gov/public-records

Competitive Solicitation RFQQ # 27-DCYF-EL-004 Page 23 of 30 file that includes all formulas, macros, and computations that are relied on or used to calculate any rates or values presented therein.

NOTE: DCYF cannot receive emails that are larger than 30MB. To keep file sizes to a minimum, Bidders are cautioned not to use unnecessary graphics in their responses. If your response approaches or exceeds 30MB, you must break it up and send it by more than one email so that no single email exceeds 30MB.

Competitive Solicitation RFQQ # 27-DCYF-EL-004 Page 24 of 30

E. EVALUATION OF PROPOSALS

1. Bid Responsiveness; Administrative Review

All responses will be reviewed by the Solicitation Coordinator to determine compliance with administrative and minimum qualification requirements and instructions specified in this Solicitation. DCYF may reject a response as non-responsive at any time for any of the following reasons:

a. Incomplete response;

b. Failure to meet the minimum Bidder qualifications or to comply with any requirement set forth in this Solicitation Document, including Attachments; and

c. Submission of incorrect, misleading, or false information.

The Solicitation Coordinator may contact any Bidder for clarification of the response. If a response is deemed non-responsive, it shall be removed from further consideration.

DCYF shall notify non-responsive Bidder(s) of this determination and the supporting reasons.

If a response meets all administrative and Bidder qualification requirements and submittal instructions, DCYF shall continue with the written evaluation and, if applicable, the oral evaluation.

DCYF also reserves the right, however, at its sole discretion to waive minor administrative irregularities.

2. Errors in Bidder Response

Bidders are responsible for all errors or omissions contained in their responses. Bidders will not be allowed to alter response documents after the deadline for response submissions.

DCYF reserves the right to contact any Bidder for clarification of Response contents. In those cases, where it is unclear to what extent a requirement has been addressed, the evaluation panel may, in their discretion and acting through the Solicitation Coordinator, contact a Bidder to clarify specific matters in the submitted response.

3. Evaluation Criteria and Scoring of Responses

a. Following…